Brass and Iron
by kaze karter
Summary: Adrian finds her again, but she's different now, terrified and hateful, in love with another. The Alchemists have won. Post-Bloodlines. AdrianXSydney. Sequel.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Okay guys sorry about the long wait. This is the sequel to **Lead and Gold**. This takes place about a year after Sydeny was taken by the Alchemists, the characters may seem a bit OOC at first but all of that will be explained, a lots happened.

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><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

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><p>Weddings were supposed to be happy occasions.<p>

Full of fun and laughter and an awful amount of champagne.

Any other day Adrian would have been quite happy with this one, Vasilisa Dragomir was marrying the love of her short life Christian Ozera and normally by this time he'd be half way through his drunken speech recalling embarrassing times for both the Queen and her King.

However, any other day, he wouldn't have just walked in on his pretty much-but not-quite sister making out with her guardian in a deserted room.

"Adrian!"

"Where's the eye soap!"

Jill Dragomir rolled her pretty brown eyes, as she caught on to his suit sleeve and tugged him away from the crowd, "Oh, don't be hypocritical, the amount of times I've been in your head when you've been…" she blushed, "deflowering innocent women."

"The women I get with are never innocent Jillian and I'm not sixteen, it's not illegal for me." He pointed out with a mock disapproving tut.

Jill rolled her eyes again, "It's not illegal if we don't…well, you know."

She blushed again.

Adrian sighed, "Of course Eddie could only stretch his morals so far." He shook his head despairingly, "well I guess I'll just have to dust off my protective big brother speech, you know, I've only used it once, best give it a practice go." Jill looked mortified as he cleared his throat and spoke in a deep baritone. "Jillian's virtue is not to be threatened, considered or even questioned until the age of eighteen, making out I can accept but anything beyond over the clothes groping—"

"Oh dear god! Shut up!" she launched herself at him trying to cover his lips, if she had been human she would be beet red, but her vampirism allowed for only so much embarrassment. She caught hold of his ear and tugged making Adrian yelp and several of the wedding guests look around in surprise. Jill gave them indulging looks before hissing in his ear. "If you don't stop talking right now…I swear to god I'll have Lissa banish you."

Adrian flashed her his most charming grin, "But what would you do without me in your life?"

"Live in peace."

"Honestly I'm surprised you convinced him to give it a go, I thought he was all high and moral about not dating you." Adrian pointed out, his voice dropping as a waiter passed them with an empty kosh.

Jill sighed, "I haven't really, he still thinks I'm too good for him, what you saw, well, I just kinda surprised him."

Adrian looked impressed, "You are too good for him Jailbait, all women like you are too good for men like us, but that's what makes us lucky. Good for you. You go girl!"

If what he had said wasn't so sweet Jill would have seriously considered stepping on his foot for that last remark but let it slide in favour of peace. Truth was, she needed all the support she could get in this conquest. Even if technically her and Eddie dating wasn't against the rules, it was still scandalous by social standards and that was forever weighing on her mind. Jill didn't have the backbone of her sister or Rose, to be able to withstand judging eyes and whispers.

"Jill, Adrian!" the pair looked up at the sound of a voice and found Angeline slipping through the crowd to reach them, as usual she was doing this ungracefully and knocking several royal patrons out of the way. When the dark haired Dhamphir finally reached them, she crossed her arms and huffed. "Finally, someone not boring I can talk to."

"Aren't you on duty?" Jill asked with a smile, taking in Angeline's new guardians uniform, she was still a probationary guardian but still had shifts and sweeps like all the others.

The other girl shook her head, "Nah, Lissa gave Rose and Dimitri the day off and they gave me the day off, it's a vicious circle."

"Rose taking a day off, has hell frozen over and I wasn't informed?" Adrian asked jokingly.

Angeline shrugged, "Lissa pulled rank I think, said they'd pull in extra guardians to cover but she didn't want her maid of honour wearing combat boots."

Adrian snickered, while Jill giggled, she'd been a bridesmaid as well and had witnessed one of the pairs discussion over what was and what wasn't appropriate wedding attire, she wondered if Rose had got to slip that knife into her girdle.

"Don't know why she was so paranoid, there are enough guardians here to protect a castle, and the factions haven't tried anything for months." True. But if any event was to be gate crashed by the anti-royal vampires, the wedding of the Queen was certainly high on their list.

Adrian was just about to point out the fact that they had been so quiet was exactly what had everyone on edge when a scream cut across the dining hall.

The music halted and the crowd froze, all eyes turning to the front of the room, where the royal party sat.

And the newly crowned King had just fallen to the ground.

"Spoke to soon."

"Christian!"

Jill pushed through the crowd, heedless, Adrian and Angeline on her heels. When they reached their destination, Rosemarie Hathaway was turning Christian over, his arms and legs were ridged, the cords in his neck were strained, his eyes wide, there was foam on his lips.

Poison.

Adrian half felt his magic summon, before Lissa was at her husbands side, she touched a hand to his heart and Adrian saw her aura flare brilliant gold and white and red and every colour in existence as her magic flowed through her finger tips.

Without thinking Adrian stepped forward and added his power to the stream of healing and in a matter of moments Christian's body was relaxing, his skin colour was retuning to normal, his eyes were opening.

The crowd released a breath and the guardians swarmed around them. News of the almost tragedy already spreading into the crowd. In a few hours everyone in the Moroi world would know that the factions had struck again.

"Jill." That was Eddie's voice appearing from behind them, his face was stern, his eyes darting every way searching for threats, he held his hand out to the young princess, "We should get you somewhere safe."

Jill hesitated, and then shook her head, "No, I want to stay with Lissa."

Eddie and Jill's wasn't the only relationship to take a step forward recently.

Speaking of, Rose's commanding voice cut across the chaos, "Liss you better see this." The Queen in all her white glory crossed to her best friend and took from her hand a note that had been set down on their table in all the commotion.

Lissa's aura flashed with fury and fear and Adrian saw spirit darkness press in on her, he stepped over to the two women and rested his hand on his cousins shoulder. She glanced at him and saw the warning in his eyes. Lissa took a breath and tried to calm herself as she handed him the note.

Jill saw it through Adrian's eyes and gasped.

**All the queens' friends and all the queens' men**

**One by one.**

**They fall down dead.**

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><p>The words were blurring in front of his eyes, Adrian sat at his desk, which hadn't seen much use before this year, his tuxedo jacket still on, his tie hanging around his neck. He pressed his palms into his eyes and wished his brain to serenity.<p>

Istanbul.

Moscow.

He'd have to go to both places; Christ was there no where in the world that the Alchemist's shadow didn't cover?

He supposed, anywhere there were vampires…

He'd been at this for months, almost a full year now and while he was no detective money was a universal language, Danielle's return to the family home had forced his father to start dishing out the cash again, but it was still a minor miracle that Nathan Ivashkov didn't yet know that all his wealth, all his son's time was spent looking for a missing Alchemist

That probably wouldn't go down well.

Adrian sighed and slumped in his chair, his eyes shutting as he thought. Was she really worth all this? Part of that question was Spirit, part of it was him, all of it desperate, truth was he had a habit of chasing after women he would never have.

It would drive him crazy one day.

He was at a football game and for a few moments he couldn't discern. Was this a spirit dream or a regular dream? The crowd around him went wild as the players on the field scored, maroon and grey players he realised. He was at Amberwood Prepatory School. Why? He had know clue. If this wasn't a spirit dream and he didn't see how it could be, for he hadn't actively tried to call upon it, then why the hell was he dreaming of a school he had never attended.

"Adrian you can sit down again." Oh right.

Sydney's voice came from behind him, he turned to look at her and she rolled her eyes at him, "They're still behind by twenty points." Jill was there, as was Eddie, Angeline and their old friend Micah, two girls he vaguely recognised as friends of Sydney's sat just in front of their row. One of them, the blonde one, turned in her seat and flashed a cheeky grin at Sydney, "Your boyfriends pretty amazing hey Syd?"

Sydney Sage scowled, Adrian didn't know wether it was because of the boyfriend comment or the shortening of her name but in any case the other girl didn't seem concerned by her expression, she turned back in her seat giggling.

Adrian took his seat next to the Alchemist and he looked around confused. For something that wasn't a spirit dream this place sure was vivid and if he was really, really dreaming then should he really know that? Wasn't the whole problem with dreams that you could never tell when you were having them?

"Your right," he turned to Sydney at the sound of her voice, she was leaning close to him, her voice low, "Golf really is a better sport." It occurred to him then, that this wasn't so much a dream as a weird cross between a memory and a delusion.

This football game had happened, the evening of his and Sydney's first kiss. But he hadn't been there; she was too busying avoiding him. He looked up as the Amberwood team scored again and the crowd cheered. He was fairly certain they had won this match.

Hey, maybe he could find a bookie.

Sydney sighed next to him, "If we actually win this there'll be no shutting Trey up, I'll hear about it for weeks." Adrian grinned at her, she was looking at him just like the real Sydney did. Golden hair and golden eyes, he lent back in his chair and decided to merely enjoy whatever parallel universe he had just stumbled into.

"He must be compensating for something." Adrian commented as he slipped his arm around her shoulders and Sydney gave him a despairing look.

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><p>"Best honeymoon ever."<p>

Lissa laughed "I know right? What's a wedding without a poisoning and fisticuffs?" Christian kissed her on the nose, lying on his side next to her in her bed. Their bed, he corrected.

King Ozera, it still flawed him and he suspected it always would.

She turned her head to look at him, just studying the lines of his face for a moment. "I'm glad you're okay." She said softly.

He leant forward and kissed her again, "I'm glad I'm okay too."

Lissa let out a breath, "They're getting closer."

"But not close enough. Both you and Adrian can bring back the dead. They're not more powerful than us."

"Adrian's already bonded to Jill and that's not really the point…"

"I know."

"I won't let them hurt the people I love." There was just a flicker of spirit in her eyes and Christian held her tighter as if trying to squeeze it away from her. "I won't."

"I know and I won't let them hurt you." He said honestly.

She looked back to his blue eyes and grinned, "Best honeymoon ever." She joked.

The new King got a devilish look in his eyes, "You just wait, I seem to recall something about little Dragomir's being on the cards."

Vasilisa let out a very un-queenly laugh, which was quickly smothered by her husband's lips.

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><p><em>She was running.<em>

_It was never something Sydney Sage had been good at, she preferred to drive or fly or even ride to a destination. Running seemed so archaic, unnecessary, and you got all sweaty._

_For some reason thinking that made her recall volleyball, and a shrill woman yelling insults at her students. That didn't make sense._

_Not much made sense to her these days. Not since him. Not since them._

_She tripped._

_Sydney put out her hands on reflex and was lucky she did as they collided with a broad tree trunk just in front of her; she fell to her knees, jarring her hips. Her heart was pounding, she'd scratched her arm on a wayward sapling and she knew he was coming._

_Fear drove her upward; she was back on her feet and off again when she heard a branch crack. The sound echoed in the night. These woods seemed familiar to her but she couldn't remember why. There was silence except for her breathing, as if even the animals and the trees were paused just like her._

_Then,_

_Crunch!_

_Sydney would have screamed if there wasn't a hand covering her mouth. Her back was pressed painfully against a tree; he was leaning against her, keeping her there._

_Vampire_

_Adrian Ivashkov._

_She knew him well. His green eyes haunted her dreams, left her no peace._

_He grinned at her now and she could see his fangs glistening in the moonlight. She tried to squirm free but as always he was too strong for her human body._

_Creature of the night._

"_I've missed you Sydney." He whispered, his face inches from hers, he spoke as if to a lover and a shiver of disgust ran down her spine. "Did you miss me?"_

"_Don't." she bit out, "please don't."_

_He kissed her and his fangs nicked her lip, spilling blood into her mouth._

_He pulled away, "Adrian…please."_

"_I can't, not without you." He spoke the words but his lips didn't move and it made no sense to Sydney, yet it pulled at her all the same, like déjà vu, grasping for the memory._

_Then, he ducked his head, his lips against her ear, "Why do you always run from me Sydney?" And why could she never run far enough was her question. She squirmed against him, trying to get free. "You love me Sydney; remember you told me you loved me." He kissed her again, licking the blood from her lip and she was trying not to cry when he looked into her eyes. "You remember that don't you?"_

_Compulsion._

_All her fear fell away, she was aware of her arms falling to her sides, no longer resisting him, she was aware of the grin that was appearing on her own face but she could do nothing to fight it as her mind was pushed aside by his and he took control of her. "Yes," she breathed and he smiled at her, it was her who kissed him this time._

_Sydney's mind was trapped in a fog as he pressed his mouth against her jaw, her neck, down to her pulse where he paused._

_His compulsion didn't stop her from feeling the agony as his teeth sunk into her throat._

_She screamed._

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><p>"Sydney!"<p>

She almost clocked Ian in the face when she woke from the nightmare, her heart was pounding and blindly she grabbed for her neck, expecting to feel blood and pain but instead nothing. Her fellow Alchemist looked her in the eyes and held her gently, his expression concerned. "It's okay, it's just a dream."

Sydney Sage let the breath back into her lungs as she took in Ian's face next to her, sandy hair and brown eyes, not emerald. Warm tan not skin like ice. She reached out a hand and touched his lips, his teeth. They were flat.

He smiled at her and kissed the tips of her fingers, "We're almost there." He said pulling away from her. They sat in the back of a black station wagon, their driver in the front, stoic eyes on the road, unbothered by the commotion in the back.

They had left the airport behind almost an hour ago and must, as Ian had said, almost be to the Moroi court. Information coming in from their colleagues was giving them further details on the attack on the King.

Sydney tried to smooth down her hair which had been mussed form sleep and clear the last of the nightmare from her mind. Yet, still fear clouded her air ways, why the Alchemists, why her father had thought it was a good idea to send her and Ian on this mission she had no clue.

He would be there.

She shivered.

As would the Dragomir princess and her guardian, not to mention Rose Hathaway. Three other people she never wanted to see again.

"How long?" she asked, as Ian settled back into his seat but left his fingers linked with hers.

"A few minutes, the drivers going to drop us off, if all goes well we could be there a while." She gave him a tight smile in reply.

He squeezed her fingers, "Don't worry Syd, I won't let them hurt you, they wouldn't dare it, not in the current climate."

He was right; things between the Vampires and the Alchemists had eroded even further in the last few months. Assisting in the investigation in the attacks on the Queens closest was in part a diplomatical move, a way to assure the bloodsuckers of their loyalty.

They couldn't know what their human counterparts were really up to.

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><p>Adrian Ivashkov wasn't drunk.<p>

Yet.

He nodded to the Dhamphir bartender, who promptly poured him another drink. He had just left the Queens quarters where the discussion over what to do with the ever increasing risk of Moroi factions was still raging on. Frankly he'd reached his limit for politics and had retreated to his favourite bar.

He had more work to do tonight and he wanted to be rested for it. There was someone he needed to find.

The bar tender placed a shot of Grey Goose in front of him and he tipped his imaginary hat to the man and was just about to take a drink before the glass disappeared and a voice interrupted. "Can I borrow that? Thanks."

The Lord Ivashkov looked up to spy Rosemarie Hathaway sitting next to him at the bar and downing the last of his vodka, he made a dramatic gesture, "Help yourself."

Rose sat down the empty glass, and nodded at the bar tender. "Don't mind if I do."

"Have they stopped arguing already, I'm impressed." Adrian commented.

Rose shrugged, "Lissa put her foot down, the Alchemists are helping, the Guardians aren't really cut out for detective work."

Adrian tensed and as ever vigilante as Rose was, she noticed. "The Alchemists, huh?"

"Hey I don't like it either." Their vodka arrived, "but it's always good to have the enemy close, this way we may know more of what's going on with them."

"Vampire Hunters?"

"Among other things, Abe seems to think we're all fools for trusting them as long as we did, as much as I hate to say this and I'll deny it if you tell, I kind of agree with him." She flashed Adrian a joking smile and he returned it.

They weren't friends as they had used to be or as Rose had wished they could be but they weren't ignoring each others existence anymore.

Rose jumped and relinquished her shot glass for the moment as her cell phone rang; she fished it from her pocket and frowned at the called ID, "Speak of the devil." She gave Adrian a look, "Literally and figuratively." She answered the call. "Dad how lovely to hear from you!" her voice was overly cheerful and Adrian snickered.

"Liar, liar." He took a sip of his drink.

Rose and her father talked for a few minutes before Rose scowled, "Are you sure?" she asked and for some reason flashed Adrian a worried look.

Rose rolled her eyes at Abe's responses and nodded exaggeratedly, "Okay I get it, you're not the joking type. Well when are they getting here? That soon, really?" she again glanced at Adrian and he was starting to get the impression that this conversation pertained to him somehow. "I'll tell him." She hung up.

"What is it?" he swallowed his shot

Rose's expression was dark and sad all at the same time. "The Alchemists they're sending…Sydney's one of them."

Adrian's workload promptly got much lighter.

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><p>Sydney Sage had only been to the Moroi Court once before, when she'd been hauled in and interrogated by their 'Guardians' about the whereabouts of Rose Hathaway. She hadn't liked it then. She didn't like it now.<p>

Her and Ian were dressed, as usual, like accountants, white button down shirts covered by black blazers and matching slacks, Sydney wished she had worn a skirt, the day was hot, although it was technically the middle of the Moroi night that did little for the temperature. But luckily few others were around to see them arrive.

Ian gave her a look, "Let me do the talking." She nodded, he had seniority here and frankly it would probably take all her will power to keep from running screaming from the room.

They crossed the court yard and were promptly met by a group of guardians with red collars, royal guards she knew and were then led through the halls, of increasing grandeur until they reached the Queens court.

Vasilisa Dragomir was there, and she seemed to be arguing with her younger sister. Eddie Castile stood between them vigilante as always, Dimitri Belikov stood just behind the young queen next to her husband Christian Ozera.

Ian and Sydney's entrance seemed to quell the voices, as every eye in the room turned towards them. Sydney's jaw clenched as their smiling and curious faces were replaced by fangs and blood in her mind. Ian cleared his throat. "Are we interrupting?"

"Adrian don't!" curiously that voice came from behind them. Sydney and Ian turned to find Rose Hathaway stumbling into the room on the heels of a furious looking Adrian Ivashkov.

For a moment she froze in fear, he looked the same as in her dreams, gorgeous and deadly, blazing emerald eyes filled with hate. The only difference was that he wasn't looking at her. He was looking at Ian.

Right before he punched the other Alchemist in the face.

So much for diplomatic negotiations.

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><p>AN: Okay, so I know its probably a little confusing at the moment but all will be explained. All comments welcome, let me know what you think.


	2. Chapter 2

A/n: Thanks for all your comments guys, this chapter again may be a bit confusing, but its intended to be a mystery, I promise I have the answers.

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><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

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><p>Jill couldn't sleep and it wasn't because of the presence of two Guardians at her door, although that didn't help. She was tossing and turning and her emotions were all over the place. It was almost morning when she realised that they weren't her emotions, but his. Adrian's.<p>

With a huff the Princess got up from her bed and tracked down her clothes from yesterday, where she retrieved her cell phone from the back pocket.

_Where r u?_

_Go away._ Was the reply she received.

_Adrian_. She hoped he could imagine her tone of voice.

It took a minute but finally, _In my room._

Jill pocketed the phone, pulled on a coat over her pyjamas and started for the exit, we're she was blocked by two guardians, quickly explaining the situation got her nowhere, although technically she was free to come and go as she liked they were also technically supposed to follow her everywhere. She was rescued, as usual, by Eddie.

He came striding down the hall and after seeing the pleading look on her face organised to switch shifts with the other Guardians. When they was finally free Jill hugged him. By the look on his face he was probably just relieved she hadn't kissed him this time.

"So, what are we going to say to him?" the Guardian asked as they crossed the quad.

Jill shrugged, it was almost morning as she was feeling that familiar tickle in her throat, but ignored it out of concern for her friend, "What is there to say?" she answered quietly, "Sorry the girl your in love with hates you because she was brainwashed?"

"To the point." Eddie replied dryly.

Jill gave him a desperate look, "Seriously, what did they do?" Jill asked.

Eddie sighed, reaching around her to give her a hug, "I don't know, but did you see the way she looked at us? At Adrian? She could only just stand to be in the same room as us. Scared to death."

Jill scowled, Adrian wasn't the only one who had received that expression, she'd been desperate to see her Alchemist friend even against Lissa's wishes, but when Sydney's amber eyes had fallen upon her, there was no warmth. There was recognition to be sure, but only fear and weariness followed it. Eddie seemed able to read her mind and he slipped his hand into hers, "Look on the bright side, she's here now. Maybe we can fix it."

Jill looked up at him hopefully, "Do you really think so?"

He couldn't lie to her, "No," he sighed, "but we best not tell Adrian that."

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><p>Adrian had always thought loosing Rose had been bad, but loosing Sydney had been worse. There was no hiding his true feelings from Jill anymore, she knew what he knew, that he'd fallen in love with a Human, an Alchemist. And now most of Court at least had heard rumours about it because of all the effort he put into finding her. He hadn't stopped looking, not once.<p>

Then she just turns up on his doorstep, okay, more like his Queens doorstep and with that ever loving son of a bitch that had done this to her in the first place standing by her side.

"Ian…" it had been one of the last coherent words he'd ever heard from Sydney Sage, in a spirit dream and Adrian had taken it as gospel.

Now lying in his dorm room, his hand throbbing with the imprint of the other mans face, Adrian Ivashkov wanted a drink, he wanted a cigarette, but mostly he wanted her.

But she certainly didn't want him, Christ; he could remember the look on her face, fear, disgust, but mostly horror. Her whole body had gone tight as she'd looked upon his furious eyes; she'd actually stepped back from him as if he was truly the monster.

And he's wanted to stake himself, what kind of idiot does that? He'd known what they'd do to her, vaguely, he knew and he'd gone in there and acted just like the creature of the night she'd always been afraid he was.

Adrian hated himself and then Jill texted.

He now sat in front of his canvas, which was blank and just begging for oils and colour and some reason for existence and he couldn't give it any, he had none himself.

There was a knock at the door; "Adrian?" he sighed and got up to the let them in, Castile of course was with Jill.

There was an awkward silence, "How's your hand?" Jill asked quietly.

"Fine." He looked at her, regretful. "How's yours?"

She smiled at him.

"I told you to let me show you how to punch Ivashkov." That was Eddie.

"I wish you had." He meant it; if Rose hadn't pulled him away he would have pummelled that man into non-existence.

"Lissa said they're going to be here for a while, until they figure out who's behind these new attacks."

"What makes this one different to the others?"

Jill shrugged, "They're not just after me or Lissa, they're after anyone close to her. Stan thinks they want Lissa off the throne but can't afford to kill her, something about it making her a martyr."

"So they're trying to blackmail her into stepping down." Eddie finished, his eyes dark as he thought it through. "We can't let that happen, but Guardians aren't really trained for an investigation ans we're stretched pretty thin at the moment anyway, that's why they've gone to the Alchemists."

"Who, could very well be behind this." Adrian supplied, Jill felt his discontent through the bond.

Eddie shrugged, but he too looked concerned, "It's a possibility but I think the Alchemists are smarter then that, they know we're suspicious of them because of the Vampire Hunters, they'll back off for now, lay low."

"Why send her then?" Adrian asked, his voice constricted on the last and Jill cringed at the overwhelming wave of emotion that had just engulfed both of them.

Eddie spoke softly, "It could be a coincidence." He suggested.

Adrian shook his head angrily, standing to pace the room, "Nothings ever a coincidence with these people, they sent her for a reason."

There was silence and the quietly, Jill spoke, "Maybe it's not about us," she looked at Adrian and there were tears in her eyes, "maybe its about her, proving to her, that whatever they did, it worked, they won."

Adrian's whole body turned to stone and Jill felt his emotions through the bond. "They haven't won yet."

* * *

><p>"<em>Sage you swing like a girl." Adrian said with a mock tsk! He was wearing his Shark's uniform despite the fact it still made her laugh whenever he turned his back. He gave her a cocky look and stepped up to his ball, "this is how the pro's do it." he commented as he lined up his shot and took a few practice swings.<em>

_Thok!_

_Sydney watched the ball fly with mock interest, as it landed off course and short. "And you swing like a drunken girl." She mimicked._

_He pointed his golf club at her, "As to the first well, it's a weekend." Sydney looked mortified, "as to the second, well there are worse things to be." She snorted at him._

"_Honestly, how do you ever get any work done around here?" she asked genuinely curious._

"_Natural talent." He answered stepping up to the ball again._

"_That stuff you've got too much of?"_

"_Exactly." He swung and missed the ball completely this time._

"_Nice shot Tiger."_

_He turned to look at her, "Are you mocking me Sage?"_

"_Exactly." She mimicked._

_For a second it looked like he would come up with another witty comment before he shrugged and took the hat off his own head and popped it onto hers, where it promptly slid down and covered one eye. She shoved it out of the way and glared at him._

_He grinned. "That's hot."_

_She rolled her eyes at him, "My go Ivashkov, stand back and try not to feel too bad about being beaten by a girl."_

Sydney awoke in darkness.

She frowned, confused, her thoughts were jumbled as she tried to place the dream. After a few minutes of trying nothing came to her and lying still for so long had made her body ach, she sat up, doing her best not to disturb Ian who lay next to her, she winced in pain as all her scars stretched, she looked down at her wrists, now blotched with white over the veins, scars, from him.

From the very man she had just dreamt about.

But that in itself made no sense, she had been happy in the dream, more then that, slowly the words came to her.

In love.

She shook her head. Fear and disgust pumping through her veins, quickly she stood, making her way to adjoining bathroom they had been given for the duration of their stay. There she rustled in the cupboards for a few minutes before she came up with a small black case which contained a few vials and a small syringe.

Ian's reflection appeared behind her, her fellow human wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing the back of her neck. His nose was swollen and black and blue from the vicious attack earlier, again Sydney found herself trying to measure that Adrian Ivashkov with the one in her dream.

Ian took the syringe from her, "Do you need me to do it?" he asked quietly.

She sighed and leant back against him, "Please." She whispered.

She didn't have the strength.

* * *

><p>"Well here's a surprise, I thought you would have run scared by now."<p>

Sydney looked up, she was standing in a garden she recognised as Sonya Karps, it was summertime and their was light all around, she turned to look at the house as the sound of voices drifted to her on the wind. There she found Adrian Ivashkov, standing not feet from her, watching her closely.

For a minute her heart leapt, but she couldn't remember why. Adrian hadn't moved an inch since she had appeared in his dream. He'd let her pick the location and had expected some torture chamber or church but instead he found a garden. He was wearing shorts and a sleeveless top and as always was unbothered by the imaginary sun. Curiously she was wearing pyjamas that showed a lot more of her legs than he'd ever seen before, if this wasn't such a serious mission he would have rather enjoyed that.

"This is a spirit dream isn't it?" Adrian frowned in response, if she knew then why wasn't she screaming at him, begging him to be released. If he didn't know any better he could have sworn that this was the real Sydney Sage, not the Alchemists moulded imitation standing in front of him.

"It is," she answered her own question, "You haven't sent me one of these in a very long time." She looked at him, but her stare wasn't accusatory, instead she seemed confused, as if she was trying to figure out exactly how much time had passed between them.

Finally he couldn't take it anymore, he'd come here, expecting her to freak the hell out, he'd had a speech prepared and everything. Hadn't she been the one to look at him with such disgust earlier? Hadn't she been the one held captive for months and presumably brainwashed?

Was he going crazy? Again?

"Why aren't you afraid of me?" he asked pointedly, looking at her closely for a reaction.

She smirked at him, she even rolled her eyes, "I told you Adrian, you and your silk shirts don't scare me, try gelling you hair back."

Oh hell no! She was not actually joking with him. Not after everything. Before he knew what he was doing he had crossed the distance between them and grabbed her by the arms making he yelp. "What the hell! This is not funny, you hate me remember? You hate all vampires. The Alchemists took you, they broke you! Tell me you remember this!" He searched her eyes and he could find only confusion and fear, but at his current actions, not ingrained terror, not the look he had seen the previous night as he had slammed his fist into Ian's face.

"Adrian…"

"I have spent every free night, every spare second, looking for you, trying to find you, trying to prove fucking Abe Mazur wrong. That these people aren't unbeatable and then here you are, fucking fine! Your perfectly fine."

She looked at him steadily, "Adrian, don't curse."

He blinked at her.

The he burst out laughing.

Sydney to her credit hadn't run screaming at his abrupt mood swings instead she let him lean on her as he got the hilarity out of his system. She patted him awkwardly on the back as he finally regained the ability to talk, he looked up at her and there was so much relief in his eyes.

He hugged her.

So tightly she thought her ribs might crack, when he finally pulled away from her, she had never seen him smile so brightly, "Adrian you might have to explain, what's going on?"

He kissed her.

As always caught her off guard by his random displays of affection, but she kissed him back, freed by the fact that this was a dream, no matter how strange.

Adrian lent his forehead against hers, "You taste the same, how is that possible?" he swallowed thickly, "You're here and whole, how is that possible?" he repeated.

Sydney looked confused but was always up for a mystery, "Start from the beginning…"

* * *

><p>By the end of the next day Adrian was fairly sure he had his answers, after figuring out with Sydney that the last thing she remembered was being in a cabin with him after crashing Latte, it started to come together, speaking to Sonya the morning after only confirmed his theory.<p>

He didn't know if that was a good thing or not.

"That was probably her spirit; I've been trying to explain to all of you, Lissa included, that you have to be able to see beyond physical existence to truly master our powers." The elder Moroi sat in her favourite chair, outside one of the Courts many coffee shops; ironically it was the same one Rose had made her last stand at. The woman twirled her coffee and smiled warmly at Adrian, Sydney's predicament too had bothered her.

"I don't understand," Adrian was scarfing down a bagel, he hadn't eaten properly since the wedding and that was a while ago. The Court was still being dressed down, with decorations still in some of the trees and streets.

Sonya took a sip of her drink, "When you spirit dream with someone you connect to their spirit, a non-physical representation of a person. Often even normal dreams are only reflections of our spirits, its the same reason why you can't be hurt in dreams. Becuase you have know physical body."

"But how have I never noticed this before?' Adrian asked, he wasn't having a problem with the concept per se, but it still seemed too good to be true. Apparently Sydney's spirit was very much intact. Even if her body and mind had been turned against him. The Sydney from his dream had kissed him back the same, had smiled at him the same.

Sonya took a sip of her tea. "Because most peoples physical forms don't differ greatly from their spirits but Miss Sage under went a radical change to her mind and body, it would make sense that only her soul would now look different to her other forms."

Adrian took another bite of his breakfast and waved through the window for the waiter to return with another one, he had a feeling this conversation would require much thinking food. "But wait, things like alcohol, drugs, injuries they appear on people in my spirit dreams." He remembered Rose from her escapades in Russia when she'd been under Strigoi control.

"True," Sonya acknowledged. "That may be because there isn't any great disconnect between other people and their souls. so They look the same. Like I said, Miss Sage's change has been quite radical, I was consoling Jillian about it earlier. At one point during whatever it is those people did to her, they must have seperated in some way. Leaving her spirit form relativley untouched, while her physical mind and body were tortured."

Adrian stilled, hadn't Sydney always said that the Alchemist would destroy her soul as well? It seemed the most important part of a person had defences against that.

Slowly, very slowly, he looked up at Sonya and by her sad eyes she already knew what he was about to ask. "Is there any way to fix it? Bring them back together? Maybe fix the Sydney in this world too. Make her not hate me." there was pleading in his voice.

"I don't know," she answered honestly, "but if it makes you feel any better, my soul was completely torn from me when I became Strigoi and yet, I'm still here. There is no limit to the things that are possible Adrian, especially with our powers."

Adrian really hoped it wouldn't come down to staking Sydney through the heart.

* * *

><p>An: So a bit of filler and more questions. Let me know what you all think:)


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thanks for all your comments guys, last chapter before I'm off on holidays for a while, so there will probably be a month or so break. Merry Xmas everyone:)

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><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

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><p><em>She was staring into her sister's eyes, Carly was sobbing, tears streaming down her face, but she chocked on the sounds as if not to draw attention to them. Sydney threw off the covers of her own bed and pulled her sister into her arms, Carly was older than her and didn't fit comfortably but still the elder Sage sister cried into Sydney's shoulder. For the next half hour Sydney listened to stilted bits of conversation through tears and slowly, slowly she pieced together what Keith Darnell had done to her beautiful sister.<em>

_She left Carly, asleep in her bed, and made her way down stairs, she stopped at the landing and could still see the light from her fathers study. Her heart stuttered but finally she made her decision, softly, as not to wake her mother she made her way down the steps. Her bare feet silent on the hardwood floors, she was in only her sleeping shift and it was chilly in the large Sage house. She could hear the wind howling outside and the eerie sound dented her confidence even further, she made it to the hallway and stopped, before craning her neck around to peer inside her fathers study. He sat behind his desk as always, perusing the newspaper. His golden lily bright in the lamp light._

_She stepped into the room, unconsciously running a hand through her hair; of course her father would notice her appearance._

"_It's late; I don't want to be disturbed." Her father paused only to give her attire an unimpressed look before turning back to his paper._

_Sydney opened her mouth the words on her lips…_

_She couldn't do it. She clenched her jaw shut and nodded hurriedly. "Sorry." And she was gone from the room like a ghost._

_She stopped running when she reached the kitchen, her heart pounding in her ears. The wind continued to moan outside; she pressed her back against the kitchen counter and swallowed the tears that threatened, the morning, in the morning they would tell him. Or better yet…_

_Sydney's grief lightened as she thought of their mother, she started off again, buoyed by the thought of telling someone, she had reached the landing to the stairs when- "Hello Sydney."_

_Suddenly she wasn't her younger self anymore, and standing in front of her leaning against the rail to the stairs, his brown hair mussed his green eyes watching her, was Adrian Ivashkov._

_Sydney swallowed hard, her heart thumped painfully in her chest as she backed away from the phantom of her nightmares, she sent a glance in the direction of her fathers study, the light was still on but she didn't feel any safer. The breath gushed from her lungs as she backed straight into a hard form._

_Vampire._

_A hand covered her mouth, as Adrian held her against him. He whispered in her ear, gentle sounds meant to sooth. "Its okay Sydney, I'm not going to hurt you."_

_His embrace was warm but rigidly tight. That was the problem with Moroi, they could almost fool you into thinking they were human, into thinking that they cared._

_Adrian slipped an arm around her waist, "This reminds me of the time I took you dancing, do you remember that Sydney?"_

_She didn't want to answer; she bit her lip, silently begging in her mind for this to all go away. She did remember, she had thought he was being sweet, she had found him intoxicating that night, he'd held her then just like he held her now. How could she not have known? How could she have been so stupid?_

_Thank God for the Alchemists._

"_Adrian let me go, please." She whispered._

_She heard him sigh, annoyed, before miraculously, his hold relinquished and she was free of his embrace, she staggered away from him, to the stairs ready to run, when he caught her hand, jerking her back._

_She tried to tug her fingers free but was frozen by the look on his face, he smiled at her, those horrible fangs glinting in the darkness, she couldn't stop the shiver that ran down her spine but that only seemed to make him happier._

_He ran his thumb over the raised skin on her wrist, without sleeves to cover; her scars were there for the world to see. He should know them well._

_That trademark smirk only widened as he lifted her palm to his lips, her breath caught for a second before he kissed the inside of her wrist._

"_So many imperfections Sydney." His skin seemed paler to her, his eyes redder. "I hate to add one more."_

_Ecstasy and agony burned through her veins as she fell to the floor but when she opened her eyes, it wasn't her floor she was looking at._

_She was in a apartment, one she remembered well, Keith Darnell's. She was currently lying on the ugly carpet he had owned and her blood was dripping into the shag, "Ow," Sydney moaned as she sat up, the world immediately going topsy turvy, as blood rushed back to her head, there was a long gash on her arm that gave a painful throb._

_Clutching the wound at her neck she looked up and found to her horror, Strigoi, but they weren't feasting on her but the man they had pinned against the wall. His green eyes, now filled with the effects of vampire venom were unmistakable. And for one brief second she was supremely glad at his suffering._

_But then, horror, unexplained horror, overwhelmed her heart and she was running at the two Strigoi women, hitting one as hard as she could with her shoulder and getting backhanded for it._

_Stars burst in front of Sydney's eyes as she slid to the floor, her shoulder slumping. Then there was a warm touch against her hand and she looked up to see Adrian Ivashkov smiling down sadly at her._

_I'm here. You aren't alone._

_She'd never relished that touch so badly, she leant into him, seeming to forget about the Strigoi, although they'd disappeared all together, it was just them now. Alone in the apartment._

_She leant into his shoulder and with his bound hands he gently stroked her hair. "Don't worry Sage, I'm not going anywhere."_

_Sage? Did he call her that? Did he always call her that?_

"Hey," _that wasn't his voice or hers._

"Wake up, we've got some crime to solve." _Who's voice was that?_

Startled out of the dream, Sydney groaned, ignoring Ian's teasing grin. "Go. Away." She demanded.

Her fellow Alchemist laughed at her. "Can't do that, think of it this way, the sooner we solve this case, the sooner we can get the hell away from these vampires and their unholy little city."

* * *

><p>Jillian Dragomir cut across the court yard keeping her head down to hide the tears that shone in her brown eyes, she'd just come from a meeting with her sister and her parents.<p>

Once again, her life was being taken away from her.

Lissa had looked at her with the typical stoic face, so good she could almost be a guardian. Jill was being sent away, again. This time she'd be with her parents at least but then even the Princess wasn't sure she wanted that. After they had abandoned her to royal life, to Palm Springs and the Moroi cut throat society she wasn't sure she could look at them the same way.

At least she would have Eddie.

That thought brought confusion to replace her sadness. Things between him and her made even less sense then the relationship with her parents. Where did they stand? She wanted to be with him. Knew that for a fact but he was seemingly hung up on their social differences.

Jill let out a sigh as she reached the small alcove just on the west of Court; the sky was dark for midday. She glanced in the general direction of the feeding room. It was too early for dinner but too late for lunch, the feeders would be relatively deserted at this time. She always thought better on a full stomach.

Decision made.

* * *

><p>Adrian wondered if the people who gossiped about him were even aware that he had super hearing, or did they just all conveniently forget that they weren't humans and if you want to talk behind someone's back its best to whisper. Maybe they wanted him to hear?<p>

In any case it was like water off a ducks back, Adrian had so many problems at the moment. Sydney, Ian, the attacks on his friends, Spirits intriguing effects, that one women snickering and looking at him like he was less than nothing was pretty far down his list.

As always when his mind was over occupancy Adrian retreated to his art. His room was quiet as he started a new piece, not drawing anything in particular, just choosing colours and lines at random.

Then there was a knock at the door.

Adrian sighed and considered not answering it. He wasn't in the mood for company today, but no, finally he stood and made his way to the door, it could be Jill.

"Jailba—" his voice cut off half way through the name. Adrian took a breath. "Sydney?"

The alchemist looked nervous, her hands were at her sides but her fingers were twitching, she kept glancing the length of the hallway as if in search of an exit. She didn't want to be here, he could tell.

But she was.

"Mr Ivashkov." She was avoiding his eye, "I was wondering if we could talk."

Adrian didn't begin to believe his luck he half wondered if he was dreaming again. He stepped to the left and held the door open for her, "Of course, come in." Sydney looked up, glancing at the open door and seeing his invitation. She froze, her fingers forming fists and Adrian quickly back tracked. "Or we could talk in the hall." He said awkwardly, stepping outside and watching as she hurriedly retreated against the far wall to escape him.

He closed the door and found himself wondering at her presence. She clearly wasn't comfortable and yet she'd been the one to come to him. Alone as well, Ian was no where in sight.

For that Adrian was glad and for the first time in days he allowed himself to relax a little, his shoulders dropping as he studied the woman in front of him. It had been so long since he'd seen Sydney Sage, really seen her. Studied her the way he always used to, he felt a little rusty running his eyes over her body.

"Were you-" Adrian jerked himself to focus as she hesitantly spoke up. She was studying the ground, one arm wrapped protectively across her middle.—"attacked by Strigoi at one point?"

Adrian blinked, it wasn't what he had been expecting, but then he really hadn't been expecting anything…he took a breath and composed his answer. "Yes. Once. When we were in Palm Springs."

Sydney flinched at his words and momentarily made the mistake of looking up at him. The second her eyes met his she tried to take a step back and found her way blocked by the wall. She clasped her fingers into fists and looked away from him again. "Why?"

"Why was I attacked?" Adrian asked.

A barely perceptibly nod. "Yes, why were you attacked?"

Adrian didn't answer straight away, he found himself watching her again, taking in the way she stood, feet apart as if ready to flee at a moments notice. Her typical Alchemists clothes were complemented with long sleeves and high collars.

Adrian remembered Horace.

He spoke around the lump in his throat. "Because they wanted to kill me." He said. "They were hungry I guess."

Sydney licked her lips, her brow furrowing darkly at his words. "Vampires." She muttered.

"Strigoi." Adrian replied sharply.

Sydney looked up at him quickly and there was almost something accusatory in her eyes, before it was gone. Replaced with mistrust. "Both. You're no different."

That stung. Adrian shook his head, "I would never hurt you." He replied earnestly.

For a moment Sydney looked at him stunned, incredulous. Before a dry, dark smirk tuned her lips. "I won't fall for that again." Her jaw was clenched. "You can't make me."

There was a tense silence, then. "You really believe that don't you?" Adrian was used to sadness and it welcomed him again as he watched Sydney.

She seemed to be studying his expression, "I know it to be true. I remember it Adrian. I dream it every night."

"Me, hurting you?"

"Among others…but you're always the worst." She doesn't know why she's telling him this, she wonders if he's somehow compelling her to but she can't stop regardless. "You made me—" she chocked on the last words and without knowing why Adrian took an urgent step forward. He could hear the words in his head 'love you…' but she lacked the will to speak them out loud.

The sudden movement seemed to shock Sydney out of her stupor. She shook her head and stepped to the left quickly, following the hall. "I have to go."

"Sydney—"

"Thankyou for talking to me, Mr Ivashkov." Her face was carved from stone.

She was halfway down the hall. "Don't you want to know?" Adrian cried to her retreating form. The words unbidden to his lips.

She paused and he spoke to her back. "Why I'm still here, why they didn't kill me?"

There was a beat where it became obvious she wasn't going to look at him. He sighed and spoke softly. "You saved me Sage, you risked yourself to save me…I couldn't have made you do that."

His words were heavy and slowly she turned on her heel to look over her shoulder, to take in his face. Green eyes beseeching and sad, angled cheeks, pale skin, full lips, he looked so like the monster in her nightmares but so very different at the same time.

There was no malice in his stare. No seduction.

Only sadness and pleading.

She didn't know this Adrian Ivashkov.

But she remembered him.

* * *

><p>Jill wiped her mouth and bid farewell to the hapless human she had just fed from. He gave her a dopy smile in response, too high on endorphins to manage anything else.<p>

At least Dorothy had managed conversation. She'd been a sweet lady really, with some interesting stories. Jill wondered if she was still with Clarence.

"Eddie!" there he was indeed. Her favourite guardian was crossing the room towards her, his face tight. The guardian on duty at the feeder station watched him carefully but not wearily.

Until Eddie reached Jill and promptly tried to attack her.

Jill yelped as Eddie grabbed her arm, tugging him to her, his other palm reaching for her throat. Without thinking she blocked his hand and squirmed against his hold. Eddie's face was blank but otherwise determined. His grip was like steel; all her hard fought training flew from her mind as she tried to comprehend what was happening.

Eddie was attacking her.

Trying to kill her

Eddie.

It didn't compute and Jill was again surprised as suddenly she was yanked away from the young guardian and thrown to the floor. It was the guardian on duty. He was taller then Eddie and also much older but his reactions were fast and protective.

Jill scrambled back to her feet as the two guardians began to fight. Her mind spun as she watched the confrontation. Eddie had just tried to kill her but surely that couldn't be. There had to be another explanation.

Magic.

She winced as the other guardian received a blow to the chest; Eddie was not trying to kill his opponent as much as he was trying to get past him. To Jill.

Single-mindedness.

Compulsion.

"Princess run!"

Jill cursed her own foolishness as she ordered her feet to comply, without a backwards glance she took flight, heading for the door and the courtyard. She just had to find people, other people. Guardians preferably.

Someone who could stop Eddie without hurting him. If they didn't understand, if they thought it was his will to harm her she knew they would kill first and ask questions later.

She couldn't let that happen.

As she passed the exit she heard aloud cry of pain from behind her and she knew Eddie was once again on her tail. Her heart beat in her chest as she ran.

Help.

Somebody help.

She turned a corner and from a quick glance back she saw Eddie closing in. His swift movement less clumsy then hers, her mind was still reeling as she ran, her heart was pounding in her head. The fresh blood fuelling her body, gave her some extra speed as she ran from her protector, her friend, her Eddie.

A weight slammed into her back and the Dragomir princess fell forward under it. Her chin hit the ground hard, knocking one of her teeth loose and splitting her lip.

She screamed and squirmed. In the distance she saw bodies stop and look their way.

"Help!" she cried, as she thrashed and kicked, her body fighting his much more powerful one. She got a look at his eyes and saw only resolve. Once to protect her, now to kill her. "Eddie." She whimpered, tears in her eyes. His hands closed around her throat.

She could feel her lungs burning. Her muscles twitching uselessly against him, blackness hedged at the her vision as the last of her breath faded from her lungs, Jill didn't even have time to think before something wet splashed her in the face and the weight covering her body was gone. She jerked upwards with a cough, air rushing back into her begging lungs. Her head swam. She was going to be sick.

Eddie's body had been hurled off her, he lay a few feet away dripping wet, a singular and very magical ball of water surrounded his head. Jill watched in horror as he struggled to breathe, as his body twitched and jerked against the water covering his mouth and nose.

"Jill, are you alright?" it wasn't her water magic, but someone else's. Mia.

The blonde Moroi stood. Hand outstretched, controlling the water with ease, she looked at her Princess in confusion and shock

"Stop! It's not him! He's being compelled. Stop! Please." Jill staggered to her feet, blood falling from her mouth, pain shooting along her jaw. Mia held out a hand to steady her and the Princess clung to it like life.

"It's all right Princess, I figured as much." Although her voice wasn't entirely convinced. With a flick of her wrist the water surrounding Eddies head dissolved into rain and his body was left unconscious but alive, Jill had enough time to feel relief before she leant into Mia and started crying.

The elder Moroi held her as the young girl swayed, unstable on her feet, sobbing into her shirt.

It seemed the factions had struck again.


	4. Chapter 4

A/n: I'm sitting in an airport trying to post this, hopefully it works. Thanks for all your feedbck guys, I promise things will start getting interesting soon.

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><p><strong>Chapter 4<strong>

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><p>Adrian was never one to scoff at a party, but in the current climate even he thought that the annual winter's ball could have been postponed a couple of weeks.<p>

"It'll be good." Lissa had said. "Give people something happy to think about. Show them that we're not afraid."

"Aren't we?" Adrian asked curiously.

The Queen gave him a dark look. "Of course we are Adrian but we can't let the people see that."

Adrian didn't agree but then he wasn't King.

He nodded and had resolved himself to picking out an outfit. He was now sitting at a fancy table at the side of the room scratching at a loose thread in the table cloth. Jill sat next to him just as quiet. Guardians were placed subtly around them. Jill couldn't walk two feet without being shadowed.

Eddie wasn't among them.

Hence the reason for Jill's mood.

"It won't be forever." Adrian supplied, hoping that at least one of them could be happy about the occasion. He stopped his destruction of the tablecloth and started shredding a napkin into tiny pieces. "There might be a cooling off period but then he'll be back to guarding you. Lissa, Rose, Dimitri, me, you. There are too many powerful people on his side."

Jill looked at him mournfully, she was dressed beautifully of course, her brown hair up in a high bun, but her attitude affected the overall outcome. "I don't care about that." She said.

Eddie's career had suffered before she knew. Of course killing a crazed Moroi in defence of Lissa was a bit different to trying to kill her in a compulsion induced rage, but Jill agreed with Adrian's overall assessment, with all the powerful friends Eddie had. His career would be safe.

Their relationship however, probably wouldn't.

Eddie was still suspended and therefore absent from the ball. But he hadn't looked her in the eye once since he'd been snapped out of the malicious spell. He'd apologised profusely and answered all the Guardian's questions succinctly. But he hadn't looked at her, hadn't touched her when all she wanted to do was hug him and tell him it was alright.

It had been hard enough before, kissing him only once and pretending to the world like she didn't have the biggest crush on her protector.

Now it would be impossible.

She decided to change the already depressing topic to something equally as bad. "So, Sydney seems happy."

Adrian snorted and swivelled his eyes to the dance floor. Happy wasn't the word he would have chosen. In fact, although she seemed outwardly content to be on the dance floor with Ian's arms around her Adrian could see the anxiety in her body. The tension in her smile as she looked at her colleague.

Adrian wished he could say it was because she knew the liar she was swaying with or because she was truly starting to remember the truth. But honestly it had more to do with being in a room surrounded by vampires in cocktail dresses.

Lissa had invited them of course. Another small step forward for Alchemist Vampire relations. Sydney and Ian had grilled Eddie too, after the incident with Jill; after all it was their job to decipher who was behind these attacks.

Adrian watched them twirl slowly and he longed for a drink. She looked beautiful of course, in a simple black dress with long sleeves. She always wore long sleeves these days he noticed. Her hair was down, covering her neck and shoulder and Adrian wondered if it was for a similar reason to the sleeves.

The napkin turned into even smaller pieces. "If you've got any brilliant ideas Jillian, now would be the time to unveil them." He had thought that since their last conversation in the hallway outside his room, that maybe just maybe things would have taken a step forward. He was wrong of course. She still skittered around him, avoiding his eye, stepping closer to Ian in a way that made Adrian's jaw clench.

He knew it was stupid to be jealous, the situation of a brainwashed girlfriend, should have evoked anger, sadness and maybe hopelessness. But it was instead jealousy he felt every time he saw them together, dressed alike and talking quietly in a language he couldn't understand.

Every time that man put his hands on her, like he was doing right now, as the song came to an end and Ian leaned into whisper something to her, his hands sliding up her back.

The napkin was practically non-existent now.

Then miraculously, the day was saved, by one of Adrian's least liked people.

Dimitri Belikov.

The Guardian, who was dressed in his white and black clothes had stepped close to the two Alchemists and seemed to be talking politely to them. Adrian saw Sydney's knuckles turn white on Ian's shoulder before she nodded stiffly.

The music started up again and Adrian was surprised to see Belikov take Ian's place. His hands were friendlier, the distance between them more platonic, but Adrian felt the familiar tug of jealously.

He cursed.

But maybe that was just an automatic response to Belikov. Better him then the son of a bitch Alchemist.

Jill watched his face and noted humourlessly that his attempt to perk up the evening had just taken a turn for the worse. Maybe it was best they sat in silence instead.

* * *

><p>Sydney's heart was pounding in her chest; she hoped that the vampire in front of her wouldn't be able to hear it drumming.<p>

Surely he wouldn't try anything dangerous in public.

Then she took a look around, realised again that she was surrounded by his kind and knew she couldn't count on any help from them. So instead, she tried her best not to make him mad, and survive the dance, her blood in tact.

He smiled at her, and something twinged at the back of her head, a familiar feeling. "You don't remember me do you?" he asked quietly. His accent was almost unnoticeable these days.

Sydney forced her head downwards in a stiff nod. "I do. We've…met previously." Because how else do you explain their previous endeavour to free his fugitive girlfriend? She wondered again if maybe then she'd be compelled, but no, it had merely been foolishness on her part to trust these monsters.

Now she knew better.

He nodded at her. "I don't think I ever thanked you for helping me and Rose, we wouldn't have made it if not for you."

She watched his expression as he said this. But there was no mocking, no underlying smugness. The tone he used on her now was polite and soft, not the one she remembered.

She wondered if Rose would sound as threatening and uncaring if she spoke to her now as well.

"Your welcome." It was all she could think to say. The song was progressing and Sydney knew she would only have to endure another few minutes of his company.

"My family asked about you, you know?" Sydney almost froze in place before she managed to move her limbs back to the beat again. Her jaw clenched.

"That's nice." She said tightly. She remembered his family only vaguely. Blood whores, who had lived in Russia. They'd been useless and flighty and frankly pathetic but at least they hadn't bitten her.

"My youngest sister—"

"Victoria." She almost jumped at her own words. She expected the name to come out like spit but instead she could still hear the ringing of fondness in her own tone.

Dimitri smiled again, his eyes were warm and brown and that uncomfortable feeling in the back of her mind intensified. "Vika," she must have been imagining the look in his eyes as he spoke his sister's name. So warm and loving. So not…vampire.

The string quartet playing the music lowered their sound an octave as they started the final verse and Dimitri looked up, his face suddenly serious.

"Have you spoken to Adrian yet?" the tension returned to her as she regarded the question. Adrian, Adrian Ivashkov. She didn't want to think about him, couldn't think about him.

"No." she bit out darkly, hoping he would drop the subject. No such mercy from a vampire.

"You should." He said firmly. "He has a lot to tell you, I know if you spoke to him, he could give you a lot of answers." He was staring at her so intently; it took Sydney a moment to convince herself that Dhamphirs couldn't perform compulsion.

"About the attacks?" the song was winding down.

"No. About you. I've know a few Alchemists before who…they can never do it perfectly, there are always memories they missed or—" the song ended.

Sydney stepped away from him instantly, she tried to turn but he caught her wrist. Fear shot through her body but his touch was light, as she turned to look at him, his eyes were hopeful but serious. "He never stopped looking for you Sydney, after they took you, just like Rose…"

She tugged her arm free and there was a familiar presence at her side instantly, she relaxed a little at the warm touch of Ian's hand at her back. She nodded stiffly to the Dhamphir. "Thankyou for the dance Mr Belikov."

She squeezed Ian's hand as they moved through the crowd, no one seemed to be paying them any attention and Sydney let out a relieved breath, they reached the edge of the dance floor and Ian put his hands on her shoulders and looked into her eyes. "I'm sorry I should never have let him—"

"No." her voice was soft but she managed a smile. "Its fine, we have to play nice remember." He looked relieved at her words and leaned forward to gently kiss her on the mouth.

That should have been enough to distract her but all Sydney could think about was Belikov's last words. _"He never stopped looking for you_…" did he wish her pain so much? Had the Alchemists saving her been too much for him to handle?

Unbidden, a different answer came to her mind.

Because he loved you.

"_Like Rose"_ Rose had wanted to save Dimitri, she remembered that much, she had loved him as much as a vampire could love anything.

But that didn't make sense; Adrian was the danger, the monster…

The words sounded wrong in her mind. Lies.

She pulled away from Ian, the pain in the back of her head increasing, she'd have a migraine soon, which usually meant only one thing, withdrawals, she would need another injection tonight.

Maybe that would take away the confusion.

"_He never stopped looking for you…"_

"Miss Sage?" She really wasn't in the mood for any more conversations with vampires tonight, but she turned dutifully towards the voice.

Sonya Karp stood in front of them; her red hair pulled up in a bun, dressed in a flowy blue dress, a handsome man in Guardian garb had his arm twined with hers.

Her eyes were brown and warm in reality, but Sydney's breath hitched as she saw red pupils and hatred, her skin a freckled white, instead looked like chalk, almost transparent.

Ian covered for her silence. "Mrs Karp." He nodded politely. "Can we help you?" that was maybe less polite.

The red haired women shook her head, "No," she smiled at Sydney, "I just wanted to see you aura. It's quite different to the last time we met." Did these people just talk about their unnaturalness so casually? "We should catch up; you're the only person I know who can hold a decent conversation on culture these days."

One more false smile or kind word and Sydney was going to snap, Ian squeezed her hand and he was the only thing anchoring her. "Maybe some other time, we have to be getting back to our room, work to be done tomorrow."

Sonya Karp didn't seem surprised by this response; she smiled sedately, not taking her eyes off Sydney as the two Alchemists made their retreat from the party.

The pounding in her head was worse then ever, she was remembering oddly a tea room and a game pinochle, Adrian had tipped the game board half way through when he'd begun loosing, Sonya had chided him and Sydney had rolled her eyes at his cheeky grin.

She needed to get out of there.

* * *

><p>Adrian didn't know what compelled him to follow them, but he suspected again it was that damn emotion jealousy. The second that scumbag had kissed her; Adrian had decided he'd be up to mischief that night. Seeing her practically flee the room, after talking to Sonya just sealed the deal.<p>

No one had ever accused him of being sneaky though, so he'd brought Jill with him. Maybe some good old fashioned stalking would get her mind off her current love-life dramas.

It certainly wouldn't help him with his.

Especially not when he saw the two Alchemists stop outside their room, it was far from the other dorms, almost segregated, and Adrian dearly hoped that their religious values would be enough to keep them from sharing a room and getting up to what he would have if alone in a room with Sydney Sage.

She was breathing hard, looking terribly confused. Adrian had always loved it when she was confused, so rare but so cute. It had always made him want to kiss her. Apparently Ian felt the same. But when he pulled back from her lips and Jill squeezed Adrian's finger comfortingly, Sydney didn't look any less distressed.

"I can't take this Ian, I can't do this. I can't be around these monsters." The last word was practically dripping with acid. Who was she trying to convince?

Ian pulled her into his arms; his golden tattoo glinted in the low light of the hall. "Shh, Syd, its okay, we won't be here much longer. Just until they decide its time. We're almost ready."

Adrian frowned and as he glanced at Jill he saw she was mirroring his expression, what did that mean? Surely they were here until they solved the case?

"But why do we have to be here at all?" Her voice was so soft, weak.

Ian leant his forehead against hers, her fingers curled in his shirt, were practically white. "You know why." His next sentence made Adrian frown even more. "They can't suspect."

Jill met his eye and mouthed 'what?' Adrian shrugged, he tugged Jill a little further back behind the wall, they didn't want to be spotted now. The Alchemists kept talking.

"But why us? Why me? Every time I see him—" The words bit off but Adrian didn't need them to know she was talking about him. She changed tact looking up at Ian. "I think I need some more."

More what?

"I don't think that's a good idea, twice in two weeks…"

"Ian, please."

He sighed.

"Its bad for you Syd, it comes from them, it's not right."

"Would you prefer the alternative?" she asked quietly.

Ian's jaw clenched. "No," he shook his head and opened the door to their room with a key. "I just hate what they did to you."

Sydney spoke and Adrian could have sworn that for a second it almost sounded like doubt in her voice. "So do I."

Was he imagining that? The Alchemists disappeared into their room and the hallway was deserted again, except for Jill and Adrian who sat in silence thinking.

It was a while before they finally had the courage to move.

* * *

><p>"<em>You don't eat nearly enough."<em>

_Sydney looked up from the book she was reading, it was in Cyrillic, the language of Russia but it was no more difficult then English to her. Olena Belikov had entered the room. An apron covering her middle, flour in her hair. The whole Belikov residence smelt like baking cookies, Rose had left that morning, with the grandmother of the family._

_Sydney didn't know how to reply, so instead she shrugged. "I don't eat a lot of Russian food." That was a lie, she rather liked the taste but it seemed a better excuse then, 'I'm trying to stay thin to match your vampire perfection.'_

_Olena smiled knowingly, "I bet it's different." Her expression grew sad, "I remember the letters Dimka used to write, always complaining about the grease and the weak flavours of American food."_

_Dimka, Dimitri. Her dead son._

_Sydney didn't know what to say, she was never very good with emotions. But Olena smiled at her kindly anyway as if just listening was all she had to do. "I've made you some cookies anyway; if you don't want them I'm sure the girls will finish them off."_

_She turned and left for the kitchen._

_Sonya Karp reminded her off Olena Belikov. She sat in her dinning chair, with tea and a biscuit. Her messy red hair pulled up. Jill was sitting cross legged on the ground, chewing on her own biscuits. Eddie stood protectively near by, Adrian was absent, at one of his college classes._

"_My dear, you just have to see the Netherlands in the winter, most beautiful." Sonya was speaking to her, her voice kind, her eyes warm._

_Jill spoke from her place on the floor, "My mum and dad took me to Germany once. They have the best chocolate."_

"_I thought that was the Swiss?" Sydney asked with a grin._

_Jill made a face, "I didn't like their's. Too rich."_

_Sydney laughed. She reached for a biscuit and got a good look at her own arm. The skin was white and smooth unmarred by raised bite marks. That confused her, she clenched her fist and the veins stood out in her hand. They were onto another topic now, Jill was speaking again. Something about her homework. Sydney shook her head; there was an uncomfortable feeling in her stomach, she felt nauseous._

"_Sydney are you alright?" she looked at the concerned faces turned towards her. Friends…her friends were worried about her._

_Was she alright?_

_The feeling was spreading from her stomach up through her chest, clogging her throat, she chocked. Sonya reached out to touch her, her hands were warm, not like ice. Her eyes were kind, not ringed with red._

"_Sydney?"_

_She wasn't alright._

_Something was very wrong. She wanted to go back, go back to before, where she'd been happy. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been happy._

"_Sage?" that was Adrian's voice. Where had he come from? He looked at her with green eyes and she felt the pain turn to the warmth, to heat. He had that effect on her._

"_Adrian?"_

_He didn't answer and he was disappearing, fading away. She called out to him. "Adrian, wait!"_

_No answer._

_Darkness._

Sydney bolted upright gasping, the warmth from her dream was still there spreading over her whole body, confusing her mind. She was happy, but that wasn't right, she tried to fight through it but the chemical in her system made it impossible and soon, she was sleeping again, no dreams, no memories just a giddy smile.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Sorry this took so long guys, back from holidays finally. Here a new chapter. All comments welcome:)

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5.<strong>

* * *

><p>Rose's whole arm jarred with pain but that wasn't enough to slow her down. She feinted to the left and swung a kick in at the right side of her opponent.<p>

Angeline was quick though and she sprung away, leaving them circling again. Rose was grudgingly proud of her student. Angeline was a lot more polished these days, of course that meant Rose got bruised a lot more too…

Angeline changed, swinging a fist straight for Roses face, the elder Dhamphir dodged, at the same time bringing her knee up to collide with the other women's gut. Angeline grunted as the wind left her lungs. From there it wasn't hard for Rose to pin her, ending the match.

Angeline huffed, her chest heaving, as Rose grinned down at her. "Not bad, you're improving every day." Rose bounced to her feet and offered a hand to the younger Dhamphir. "But you're still slower moving to your left then to your right.

The two women moved off the dojo floor, sweating and breathing heavy to retrieve their water bottles. Angeline swung a cool towel around her neck. "You're worse then Dimitri you know. A real hardass."

Rose snorted. Almost chocking on a mouth full of water, there was no way she was more of a whip cracker then Dimitri. Maybe he'd gone soft in his old age?

"Guardians! Guardians, where are the Guardians?" the two women looked up at the sound of a panicked Moroi voice. It was night, by which that meant broad daylight and there were few people about. Their section of the dojo was deserted besides them, and their intruder.

Rose straightened. "Over here sir, what's wrong?" Rose rolled her eyes as the young Moroi man recognised her. He tensed, his eyes widening. Confronted with the legendary Guardian Hathaway made a few people star-struck.

Angeline cleared her throat, annoyed. "Oi! Spit it out."

"There's a fight." The young Moroi chocked, there was a sheen of sweat on his forehead. "In the courtyard, by the fountain. Some young men were coming back from a party when they ran into these humans and—"

"Humans?" Rose asked sharply. "Do you mean feeders?"

The Moroi shook his head with a look of disgust, which made Angeline's opinion of him drop another few points. "Not feeders no, they wear suits, and have these tattoos—Hey where are you going?"

Before he could finish his sentence, both Angeline and Rose had rushed by him, breezing through the doors towards the exit. Running at full speed despite just finishing their work-out. Angeline kept pace with Rose, as they burst into the sun of night and sprinted towards the large fountain, with a bust of Queen Elladora, pouring water from a jug. The few people that were milling around looked up in surprise at their abrupt explosion onto the scene but Rose only had eyes and ears for what lay ahead. As they pounded closer, the unmistakable sounds of a confrontation drifted to her Dhamphir ears.

The muted sound of thunder broke across the ground. A gunshot, echoing in the bricked court yard. Rose and Angeline took a hard right around the shaped arch and walked straight into the middle of it.

Rose stopped, taking in the situation quickly. There were seven Moroi guys, one girl, and all of them had the slow and boorish movement of the intoxicated. Ian and Sydney were backed up against an oak tree. Ian was the one with the gun out. He had a busted lip and a black eye and clearly had been on the wrong end of a beating before he'd drawn the weapon, which he'd apparently fired into the air and was now levelled at one of the Moroi men. The leader, who was sneering, his intoxication making him stupid.

"Come on, Blood Bag, I dare you!" Rose recognised him as a young Ivashkov. He stepped dangerously towards Ian, whose face hardened.

Rose eyed the gun wearily, she didn't want to get between it and its target, but that was the best way to diffuse the situation, she leaned towards Angeline and jerked her head towards the crowd of less involved Moroi. "Deal with them, knock some heads get them to scatter. I'll take him." Angeline nodded the affirmative, cracking her knuckles and swiftly darting into trouble.

Rose leapt forward and snagged the lead Moroi by the collar, yanking him half behind her, "I don't know who the hell you think you are but—time to get over yourself!" she kicked the back of his knees making him kneel and looked to Ian, who hadn't loosened his grip on the gun. Rose noted oddly, there was an eerie blue glow coming from the handle reflecting on Ian's sweaty knuckles. "Ian," she paused. "Its okay, you can put that away now."

He didn't relax. Instead his teeth gritted. "Does she look okay?" he asked darkly. It didn't take much detective work to figure out who he meant. Sydney was a little behind him, her back pressed to the tree. Sitting on the ground, her knees pulled up to her chest. Her eyes were shut tightly, her bloodied hands covering her ears. Rose glared, levelling a quick kick at the squirming Moroi in her grasp, when she got her hands on the losers who did this they were going to beg for mercy.

"Yow! Son of a Bitch!" Rose swung around suddenly at the yowl of pain. That was Angeline, who had just sprang back from the female Moroi she'd been trying to disperse. The young Dhamphir was clutching her hand, which was red and inflamed. No wonder why, as the Moroi girl raised a hand smugly, her fingers glowing like candles.

A fire user.

The sudden appearance of magic, seemed to have reinvigorated the sense of entitlement in the drunken Moroi, they were forming up again, starting towards Rose and Ian. Who moved the sight on his gun.

"Ian don't—Hey!"

Rose let go of her Moroi hostage suddenly, her hand burning with not flame but ice. She blew on the frosted tips, as the water user she had previously held, staggered away from her and towards the Alchemists. Sydney whimpered and pulled herself tighter into a ball.

"That's it," Rose growled. She lunged towards the Ivashkov boy and before he could raise his hands to act, she'd knocked his head into her knee and put him to the ground. Quick as lightening she swung around and dived into the group of others. A few broken jaws and one fractured sternum later, there were only two Moroi left standing. The girl and an unattractive boy, Rose thought belonged to the Drozdov's and was apparently a earth user.

Maybe the pro-Moroi magic movement wasn't always such a good thing. Rose stood shoulder to shoulder with Angeline, who had one hand curled protectively into a fist and murder glowing in her eyes. She hoped she could rely on her young protégé not to loose her cool.

"Do you really want to fight us? End up in jail over one drunken fight?" Rose asked darkly, readying her body for action.

It was the girl who spat a reply. "You started it. We were just defending ourselves!"

Angeline jerked her head behind them, where Ian and Sydney presumably still were. "And we were defending the humans you attacked!" she growled.

The boy, who had rather rat faced features, narrowed his eyes. "We thought they were feeders who got a little lost, we were just trying to help when the Snack pulled a gun." That 'Snack', would be Ian then. "You can't get us in trouble for that!"

Rose took a step forward dangerously. Time to take their sense of entitlement down a notch. "Their the Queens hired Alchemists, and we're her royal guard, do you really think any one's going to buy that? Hate to break it to you _Charles_—" she sneered at the boy—" and _Whitney_." She glared at the girl. Who rolled her eyes at the dig. "But you're not the richest, most important people this time."

Angeline joined in on the act. "Good point Guardian Hathaway," she stressed the name making the Moroi pale further, "how long do you think their sentences will be?"

"Well, I can ask my friends as Tarasov to be a little lenient I guess, maybe a year or two." Rose was just about convinced that their little charade had worked when very suddenly, it all started to fall to pieces.

Rose chocked, and on her side she saw Angeline do the same. She couldn't breathe. Rose's eyes bugged. As suddenly her lungs stopped obeying her and closed over. What air was in her body seemed to evaporate, she coughed, and spluttered trying to suck in oxygen but failing. Angeline fell to her knees. Her face going red, clutching her throat.

The two Moroi facing them, stared in shock, but made no move to help them. Blood was pounding in her ears, Rose's vision was beginning to swim, as her palms hit the dirt and she gasped, she could barley hear the words, of one of the air using Moroi she'd taken out earlier. "There's no way, we're going to suffer because of the word of some Table Snacks and a couple of Blood Whores!"

Rose couldn't focus, blackness started clouding her sight, she collapsed to the ground, as the last of the oxygen left her aching muscles, her chest and throat burned, all she could feel was the pain. Angeline lay next to her on the ground. For all their strength and speed and skill, they were no match for Moroi magic.

The only sound she could hear was her own pulse, just before Rose passed out, she thought of Dimitri, of Angeline lying next to her, of Lissa, Adrian and Sydney.

_Bang!_

To her the sound which echoed in the courtyard, sounded like the lightest touch of a feather, but before she knew it, her eyes had snapped open, she sat up coughing. Air rushed back into her burning lungs, Rose chocked and spluttered on the ground. She could breathe again and her brain swam with the sudden overload of oxygen. She was dimly aware of Angeline next to her doing the same.

She spat, nausea filling her stomach, and lay on the ground. Her vision returned. The Moroi boy and girl were still standing, staring aghast as what lay in front of them. A third body was on the ground. As Rose crawled weakly to her knees, she saw the blonde Moroi corpse. Laying face down in the dirt. A red stain spreading across his back, his chest moved weakly, as he struggled to survive a deadly wound. His skin already pale had turned ash grey, sickly blue veins were blooming across his skin; he seemed to be…melting before her eyes. She'd seen gunshot victims before and none of them did that. She remembered the glow of Ian's gun and suspicion burned in her veins.

Soon, his struggle for life was over and only a sickly blue grey tinged corpse laid there, a gunshot wound to the back. Rose raised her head slowly to look at Ian. He met her eyes, remorseless. As he lowered the gun.

"Guardian Hathaway!" Rose broke from her stupor and looked up in surprise to see black garbed Guardians' bearing down on them, the Moroi boy and girl had taken off. The unconscious and deceased bodies of their friends littering the ground around Angeline and Rose. Who stood on shaky feet at the appearance of their colleagues.

Rose had to get the story out quickly, lest the situation get any worse. All the Guardians would see was a dead vampire, two stricken colleagues and a gun wielding Alchemist. "He was protecting us! It was self-defence." He throat burned bringing tears to her eyes.

One guardian, Meredith, she realised had taken her by the arm, steadying her, the other Guardians were surrounding the Alchemists…Sydney.

Ian stood protectively in front of her, but the Guardians yanked him away harshly.

There no mistaking the panic in her eyes.

* * *

><p>Fear.<p>

Fangs.

Ian!

Sydney scrambled to her feet, her whole body was shaking, that horrible, welcome, familiar emotion was flooding her body, weighing down her limbs, filling her airways, she breathed it in. She felt cold fingers grasp her arm, and she looked up into blood red eyes.

Panic, a scream tore from her throat and she sprung from the grip. Like fire it was burning, burning. They were all around her. Everywhere. Pale faces, burning red eyes. She could see the contempt, the hate, and it smothered her, she staggered to leaden legs. She could feel them on her skin, she scratched at her own arms, trying to keep it out.

Ian, where was Ian? He'd left her, they'd taken him, she was alone, all alone.

Tears sprung to her eyes, they would bite her, they would enslave her, no no, not again, she screamed and fell to the ground, pulling her legs to her chest and clutching them. Squeezing her eyes shut and trying to block it all out.

The pain.

Red eyes haunted her.

The numbness.

She could feel their breath on her neck.

No, no. no not again, no.

The pulled at her, reached for her, tore at her.

And then they were gone, and a bright light was in their place, shining like gold. Feeling like warmth, and familiar, she knew this light better then she knew herself.

Safety.

Adrian.

* * *

><p>He wasn't quite sure how he'd got himself into this situation, heading back, late at night, across the quad had seemed like a smart idea at the time. Filled only with Sonya's baked goods and tea, he had little fear of tripping over a gutter and embarrassing himself.<p>

Then he'd heard the shot, followed by her scream and he's run so fast he may as well of teleported. Upon arriving at the scene, seeing Sydney Sage, fighting against the Guardians, who were doing their best to restrain her, none to gently. Rose was near by yelling to stop, but sounding hoarse. Ian had already been subdued, but was struggling against his bonds.

But Adrian could see none of that. Only her.

Tears were running down her face, panic, making her movements jittery. Then one Guardian had clocked her at the back of her neck in an attempt to put her out. The last thing he remembered was seeing her slump weakly to the ground, before…he didn't know.

Now here he was, surrounded by magic, spirit he realised. Standing once again in a river. Guardians, faces he recognised surrounded him, their black shoes and pants, getting splashed on by the ice cold water. Not far away was a gate. And behind them was nothing but blackness, echoing from there Adrian could hear a waterfall. He'd been here before. The Guardians he'd forcefully brought with him hadn't however and were more then a little afraid.

Good.

The anger he'd felt surged his veins again, as he looked upon their souls, they deserved to suffer. They'd hurt her. She didn't love him anymore. She wasn't herself anymore. He'd failed. Failed her and it was all their fault.

He should leave them here. Let them suffer, wandering aimlessly. Standing in an ice cold trickle of water, unable to go on. It would be only a little of what he felt everyday.

Suffer.

"Adrian?" was he imagining her voice?

"Adrian, please."

Please what? He'd do anything that voice asked.

"Don't do this."

In an instant he let them go, he didn't know how, but they were going, going, then gone. And suddenly he was back in the courtyard. Exhaustion hit him like a freight train. He was dimly aware of everyone staring at him, of the pale faces of the Guardians and the horrified looks of Angeline and Rose. But mostly he was aware of her. She was standing next to him. Her hand on his arm.

He turned his head and met her eyes. "Syd-ney?" he chocked.

"I'm here Adrian."

He passed out then and there, collapsing to the ground in a heap.

Dead to the world.


	6. Chapter 6

A/n: Sorry this has taken me so long, weirdly it was watching the tennis in Palm Springs that reminded me I had a story to write.

* * *

><p>Chapter 6<p>

* * *

><p>Rosemarie Hathaway wasn't above using her position for personal gain. Currently she was lying in one of the clean crisp hospital beds of the secure wing in the Court hospice.<p>

And she could admit, she was putting it on a little.

The nurse who was taking her blood pressure seemed to think so too, but was in no position to question her patient when the Queen herself had ordered this inspection.

Lissa was pacing the small floor space of the room, her shoes making a catchy rhythm on the floor as she paced. Rose spared her a dry glance, as the machine clutching her arm released, and beeped a reading.

The nurse snuck Rose another doubtful look, as she peered at the numbers on the screen. "Blood pressure is normal." Lissa breathed a sigh of relief, while Rose wilted dramatically.

"I'm telling you ma'am, I feel feint, all light-headed and swimmy." Rose lay back in her sheets, throwing a hand over her eyes for effect.

Lissa looked at her friend, oblivious to the play for Oscar contention going on in front of her. "Are you sure she's alright?" she asked of the nurse. Who had vacated her chair and tucked the blood pressure pump under one arm.

The nurse turned to her. "Quite sure your highness." Rose moaned loudly. Lissa looked sceptical and eventually the wizened nurse managed a sigh. "But its best to be safe. I'll run the blood tests again and be back in the morning."

Rose immediately perked up as the women left the room, grinning to herself as Lissa gave her a bemused look and sat on the end of her bed, knocking her feet out of the way. The Moroi Queen levelled her stare at her best friend.

"Okay, what's going on? Are you really okay?"

Rose looked affronted. "I was almost smothered to death you know."

Lissa winced. "I know, but it's not like a single near death experience ever kept you down before." Lissa pointed out honestly.

Rose shrugged. "Maybe I'm getting more cautious in my old age."

Lissa looked unimpressed. "Rose your barely pushing twenty." She crossed her arms shortly.

Eventually the Dhamphir relented. "Okay, okay, I just didn't want you to stop me."

"Stop you from what?"

"Breaking out from my room later tonight and going to visit Sydney." Rose said very quickly and without missing a beat.

Lissa sighed.

"Rose that's not a good idea—"

"I need to see her and she's my friend—"

"I know that." Lissa placated. "but the last thing Vampire-Alchemist relations need right now is another stuff up. The attack last night had already gone public news. The Humans are furious, I already feel like we're on a knife's edge here. I don't need you pushing us over."

Rose frowned. "I won't. I promise. I'm not going to discuss politics with her, I just want to talk to her—"

"About Adrian?" Lissa cut in shrewdly.

Rose paused for a beat and then sighed defeated. "You weren't there. You didn't see it. It was like you and Jesse all over again." Lissa flinched at the unpleasant memory. "One second he was out of control, I'd never seen Adrian use so much sprit and then…she stopped him."

"How?"

Rose sighed. "I don't know, before that she was a mess, freaking out when the Guardians tried to take her away, I know what Abe said they did to her, but, it was weird, seeing her like that, so scared, so out of control. So not-Sydney."

Lissa paused for a second, watching her best friends face closely, before she said firmly. "Rose it's not your fault."

"It's never my fault." Rose replied quietly.

Lissa shuffled forward on the bed and pulled the Dhamphir into a hug. It wasn't often that Rose was the one in need of comfort by Lissa had resolved herself to always being there when those rare occurrences came. Like now.

Rose hugged her back.

"You can't save everyone."

Rose knew that. She understood it a little better these days, but she couldn't help but wonder why it was always Adrian and Sydney who had to be left behind.

If she didn't save them, who would?

* * *

><p>Adrian was in a large stone walled room. He was also fairly sure he was dreaming. There was rain outside the window; he could practically feel the chill in his veins from the weather. It felt like a spirit dream but not. Like the football game that had come to him in his sleep some days ago, this place, this time, felt real.<p>

He could hear voice coming from the hall. Adrian was standing in some kind of office, with a mahogany desk, and a filing cabinet. Papers were strewn over the desk. He looked up at the sound of footsteps coming this way. If he was indeed dreaming then there should have been no fear of discovery. Yet last time he'd met one of these dreams he'd been there, almost. He'd talked to Sydney hadn't he? Teased her with her friends. It had almost been like he'd actually existed.

Taking only a second to decide, Adrian ducked behind the side of the door, and not a moment too soon, a second later it swung open, blocking him from view and almost crushing his nose as it swung inwards.

Two men entered aged about into their late fifties they were speaking an unfamiliar language and wearing familiar non-descript suits. One, the brunette younger looking man, had on latex gloves.

The two men paused to look out the window as the rain poured down harder and Adrian got a good look a two matching lily tattoos emblazoned on their cheeks.

Alchemists.

The men continued their conversation unhindered, and soon left the room again. Adrian pushed himself closer against the wall as they exited the room. He heard the door click loudly as a lock was turned.

Springing from his hiding spot, Adrian wasn't one to waste time. Dream or not, he was here for a reason. He turned to the paper strewn desk and started poring over the documents, looking for any info.

There were a few order forms, for food and supplies that looked to be in Cyrillic. But the language the two men had used wasn't Russian or any of its familiars. He turned next to the filing cabinet, and after some tampering with the lock, he managed to open it with a soft squeaking of wheels. Inside he found names. A different folder for each name. He was just flicking to the back when he came across a familiar one. Horace Meyers. The Alchemist who had come to visit Sydney in Palm Springs.

Adrian remembered scared eyes, and pinched skin. The man had curled into a ball when confronted with Adrian's fangs. Sydney had held him as he cried. He'd been re-educated too.

Adrian pulled out the file and started flipping through its contents. A few things caught his eye. Like room numbers, offences, every page was stamped with a red stencil of the word 'complete'. There was a thick set of pages titled surveillance. All detailing Horace's supposed friendship with some Moroi in Las Angeles several years ago. There were pictures too. Printed in colour, Adrian peered at one that showed a younger, happier Horace smiling down at a female Moroi, who was grinning at him like a love struck fool.

Adrian knew that expression well. He returned the file and its contents, and then continued scrolling the names until he found the one he wanted Sage, Sydney.

The first page was merely a list of info, her birth date, eye colour, height, written across the top in red ink however was a hand written note that read:

_Sage, eldest daughter of Jarred Sage. To be contacted upon completion. +61 04166 12530_

Adrian frowned and continued reading. The rain outside had worsened, and occasionally he heard footsteps in the hall. There was info on all of them in there. There was a report on Roses' breakout from a few years ago, statements and testimonies and then it detailed Palm Springs. There was evidence from Keith Darnell photos of Sydney and Jill, Eddie, photos of him and her, of them at the golf range, his lips pressed to hers.

Adrian flicked back to the front, tracing down a room number, her had a fair idea of what this place was now. Although the question of how he got here, remained to be answered.

Resolute, he tucked the folder back into its place in the cabinet, stealing only a single piece from it. A photo of Sydney and him, from Amberwood Prep. He folded it twice and tucked it into the back of his jeans before he slipped from the room.

He shut the door behind him with a click and slowly glanced down both sides of the hallway, debating which way to go, throwing up a guess he turned left and hurried himself until he reached a set of stairs that led downwards, the walls on either side of him were stone, but the light above his head was modern day electricity. Adrian steadied himself and took a breath before taking the steps two at a time, delving deeper into the building.

For a dream, his footsteps sounded awfully loud.

* * *

><p>Jillian Dragomir was drowning her sorrows in chocolate; she lay flat on her back in bed. The covers kicked onto the floor. She hoped stuffing a third caramel cream into her mouth would stop the Guardians standing outside her door from hearing her cries.<p>

She was thinking of Eddie.

She had barely seen him, and right about now she could use his familiar presence. Eddie had a way of making everything seem better; maybe if he was here with her she wouldn't be crying her eyes out with worry.

She was to be going with her parents in two days time. That in itself wasn't the concern. As the worry of Moroi faction assassins grew larger, it was the fact that Eddie wouldn't be accompanying her on the trip anymore. Two more Guardians had been assigned instead. Serena was one, and Meredith the other.

"They will keep you safe," Lissa had promised.

"Adrian's a bit busy at the moment, but I'm sure he'll join you soon," Rose had assured.

Jill snorted and picked up a coconut flavoured chocolate, 'busy' as if she didn't share Adrian's concern for Sydney. Why was it that whenever Jill was determined to stay in one place, she was torn from side to side? Shuffled away at the last second. Sydney was here, Adrian was here and yes, Eddie was here and very soon, she wouldn't be.

It was enough to make any girl cry, well except maybe for Rosemarie Hathaway.

There was a knock at the door and Jill sat up so fast that she spilled the last of her chocolates onto the sheets. A few quick strides and a quick tidying of her hair and she wrenched the door open.

It wasn't Eddie, as she had hoped, but it was the next best thing.

King Ozera grinned at her from the threshold. "You look like hell Jill and I mean that in the nicest possible way."

Jill let out a breath, "Christian," she stepped aside. "Come in." he followed her lead and she shut to door behind him, he frowned at the dishevelled state of her room and picked up one of the abandoned chocolates.

"Drowning in misery?" he asked. "I thought you would have relished a chance to kick some ass." Jill frowned at him, as he popped the chocolate into his mouth a grimaced at the flavour. "Yugh, peppermint."

"Whose ass was I supposed to kick?"

"Don't tell me you've given up on your training, I know Castile's got you doing ninja moves but that doesn't mean you should abandon your magic."

Jill slowly realised what he meant, "Oh you mean, we were supposed to practice?" she asked, and the sadness in her chest was replaced by excitement.

Christian nodded. "I've got some spare time, with Lissa clinging to Roses beside like a limpet and with all the…recent events. I'd think you'd welcome some practice. Mia said she'd put in some time with you as well, I sent you an e-mail."

Jill managed to keep her face neutral at the subtle mention of eddies attack and instead shook her head, "I've been neglecting my computer."

Christian gestured to the state of her room, "And the outside world." His face darkened a little. "Look," he started. "I know what happened with Castile has got you down, not to mention the constant attempts on your life can't be easy but you can do better then this." He crossed his arms and looked resolute.

Jill sighed, "I know, it's Adrian…I think, he's been really sad lately, and then when we overhead Sydney talking with Ian the other night—"

"What did you hear?" Christians blue eyes were suspicious.

Jill shrugged, "Nothing specific, just some confusing stuff, that didn't make any sense and then Sydney reminded us of how much she's afraid of Adrian and…yeah," she finished lamely.

Christian frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. "Do you know about what happened last night, with the Alchemists and Rose and Angeline?"

Jill nodded slowly, "I felt it mostly." She said softly. "I never felt that much from him, before, spirit, I mean."

"Lissa said that the Alchemist stopped it, like how Rose did with her before when we were at school and that loser Jesse had that secret meeting of theirs."

Jill shrugged; she knew little of the incident, "I guess, all I know is, that one second he was out of control and the next…" she trailed off leaving the statement hanging.

There was a tense silence for a few moments as the two Moroi mulled it over before Christian shook his head and looked at Jill. "Why don't we leave the detective stuff to Hathaway huh? We've got better stuff to be doing. Get ready and meet me at Mia's in half an hour, bring your Guardian's if you have to."

So twenty minuted later, Jill had cleaned her room, scooped up and binned the last of the chocolates, pulled on some clean clothes and was sitting down at her desk trawling her overloaded inbox and reading her messages.

She deleted some spam, and Christian's message telling her about training, she opened one from last Monday addressed from Clarisse her friend at Saint Vladimir's detailing the gruelling torture chamber of eighth period gym class. Jill tried to send a reply but found the server blocked. Unable to send. She frowned in confusion but was soon distracted as she saw just under Clarisse's e-mail one from her friend Micah sent from his Amberwood e-mail address. She clicked it happily, glancing at the clock to see wether she still had time, before beginning the first paragraph.

_Hey Jill,_

_What up? Hows Eddie, Sydney, Adrian, Angeline and all your other random family members I can't quite recall?_

_Things at school are the same, although not as fun without you guys around. I joined the volleyball team and am hoping it'll shut my dad up about extra curricular activities._

_Hey, speaking of weird dad's. Treys showed up in class today. Withdrew him from school apparently just like that. The football team is so screwed especially since your sister shut down the super powered you know what's coming out of you know where. Doesn't look like Amberwood will be making the finals this year. Weird huh?_

_Hows your family doing? I know you said they've been having some problems lately, but things with your sister are sounding good—Lisa is it?—any how, I hope things are cool. Cause I'm just chilling here waiting for you guys to come back. Seriously it's a bore on campus these days._

_Hows your modelling going? Are you still interested in that? I remember how good you were at that show last year; you could make a career of it if you wanted._

_Anyway, I've got to cut this letter short Mrs Terwilliger is giving me the evil eye—seriously she's been in a bad mood ever since you guys left, probably because she doesn't have anyone to bring her coffee at all hours of the day—so I'll write again soon._

_Let me know what's happening with you._

_Micah._

Jill relented to writing her reply later, as she glanced the clock she had to meet Christian and Mia but none the less she smiled happily as she left the room, locking the door behind her.

It didn't seem odd to her, that at that moment she was unable to feel anything from Adrian at all.

* * *

><p>Adrian pressed his hands to the glass. He was staring into a sealed room with only one occupant, a young woman with a golden tattoo. Blue eyes and red hair.<p>

She was bleeding.

She'd been restrained to what looked like a massage bed, but not as comfortable. The lights in her room glowed an unnatural blue. Although Adrian was staring through a window he suspected the women couldn't see him, for her eyes passed right over him as they swivelled in her head. There were wounds on her neck, on her shoulders, blood was sliding over her skin and dripping onto the floor.

And the figure. The figure Adrian had seen just as he entered the room, being hauled away by gun wilding guards, seemingly weakened by the overhead blue shinning lights.

Had been a Strigoi.

A thrill of fear filled Adrian as he remembered the red ringed eyes, but the Strigoi hadn't looked murderous as it had been pulled from the room. More tortured. Tormented.

As for the girl in the room, she was sobbing now, but there was a delirious smile on her face. Vampire pheromones kicking in.

And the golden lily on her cheek looked a sickly green under the lights.

What the fuck?

_Bang!_ The door to Adrian's room exploded open and Adrian swung around, he had the unique experience of seeing the guards eyes widen in shock as he took in the presence of an intruder. And before he could wrestle his gun into his hands Adrian summoned his magic and sent him flying into a wall with a sickening crack.

Somewhere in the facility an alarm blared and Adrian's heart started racing. He ran to the unconscious guard, stole his gun and key card, and ran for his life. Begging in his mind. Wake up goddamit! Adrian sincerely hoped this was a dream.

He didn't want to know what dieing felt like, asleep or awake. Or worse, he didn't want to be captured an locked away in a place like this, with its eerie blue lights, and bloodied victims.

Adrian knew only one thing for sure as he reached another set of stairs, this one thankfully, leading upwards. He was in a re-education centre. Where the Alchemists used Strigoi as weapons.

Where Sydney Sage had once been.

Adrian ran as fast as he could.

* * *

><p>Rose had expected to face Sydney alone, but having Lissa refuse to let her go alone, to visit the Alchemist had been a nice surprise as well. It was late day, early Moroi morning at the hospital. But with the presence of a Queen at her side, Rose didn't have to sneak to the other room.<p>

They reached the Guardians outside Sydney's room, who looked at one another an quickly stepped aside. One nodded, "Your Majesty."

"Is she awake?" Rose asked.

The Guardian shrugged. "I think so, but she's got a visitor already, that human guy, has been in there for a few minutes."

Rose looked a Lissa and the blonde nodded in understanding, a somewhat unqueenly, mischievous smile turning her lips. "We won't disturb them."

So they slipped into the room quietly, a quick flash of spirit making them invisible to the human's eye.

Sydney lay sitting propped up on pillows, her face showed the marks of her confrontation with the Guardians who had tried to restrain her, she also had the slightly groggy look of someone who'd been on a morphine drip.

"It's happening." Ian whispered. He was sitting at her bed side, her hand in his. "I talked too Jarred, we're leaving tomorrow morning, he's sending a car personally, we'll be gone by mid-day."

"Have you told the Moroi?" Sydney asked slowly. She looked bone tired.

Ian grimaced. "Not yet, but who cares, they can't stop us, they wouldn't risk it, this whole mess had already stretched things to breaking point. Your father told me, most are already convinced."

"Are you?" Sydney asked quietly.

Ian shrugged. "I think it's for the best."

"Really? I'm not. They'll fight back. People will get hurt."

"It'll be worth it." Ian said firmly, squeezing her hand. "I need only to look at you, see what he did to you, to be sure. Their monsters Sydney and we've been letting them get away with it for too long."

Lissa and Rose shared a look.

Maybe Ian couldn't see the doubt in Sydney's eyes but Rose and Lissa could. "About that, I—I've been thinking about that…about him."

Ian looked at her confused.

There was a tense pause, Rose held her breath.

"It doesn't make sense." Sydney finished there was a desperate frown on her face. "None of it makes sense."

Ian sat up sharply. He put his hands on her arms, looking her in the eye. "Don't say that Syd." He sounded desperate himself. "You've been doing so well, it's why they let you out, you were finally getting better."

"Ian—"

"Don't; please don't make me send you back there. I hate what they do, even though I know they have to, their just trying to help, please, Syd, don't make me. You've got to be okay, you've got to get them out of your head."

Sydney pulled away from him quickly, and there was anger in her eyes. "That's what I mean! I don't think it's them, I don't think their the ones in my head, I think its you, I think its us. My dad. Because sometimes I think about them, Adrian Ivashkov and Jill and Hathaway and I remember who they are—" she chocked off the end of the sentence, there were tears in her eyes now and she looked to Ian for an explanation.

"Its not who I know them to be, I know things but I don't remember how or why or when I learned them. Why Ian, why is this happening to me?"

She was completely in tears by this point and Roses knuckled were clenched so hard, they were turning white. Lissa covered her hand with her own and silently begged her Guardian to keep quiet.

Ian pulled Sydney into his arms, and Rose could see it, could see he actually did care, did love her and it didn't make any sense. "I'll get it," Ian whispered to her. "Just wait here, I'll go back to our room and I'll get it, it'll make everything better." For a moment Sydney looked reluctant before the expression crumbled and she nodded desperately.

"Hurry. Please."

Ian stood up and Rose and Lissa had to dodge hurriedly out of the way as he exited the room. They turned back to Sydney the sounds of his hurried footsteps echoed from the hall.

She was sitting up in her bed. Legs pulled up to her chest, rocking gently, tears streaming down her face.

"_Go, help your friends."_

The memory echoed in Rose's head and before Lissa could stop she was stepping over to the bed, wrapping her arms around Sydney's' frame breaking Lissa's spell and holding the crying girl gently in her arms.

"Shh, Sydney," Rose breathed. "It's okay. You're going to be okay." Her voice turned resolute. "You're my friend too."

* * *

><p>AN: Okay things are still pretty confusing at the moment, but I promise this story will finally start going somewhere next chapter. With Adrians powers and whats up with Sydney.


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